Captive
by opal aline
Summary: Taken against their will, what happens when Edward and Bella are held hostage?


**DISCLAIMER: ALL THINGS TWILIGHT BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**

**A/N: Thanks to Andrea F. for beta-ing this for me! Thank you also to my awesome girls for always supporting me! Love ya Justine, Kathie and Alice!**

**This was written for the 100 pictures contest and won second place in the people's choice. Thank you to everyone that voted for this fic, it means a lot to me!**

**~XXXX~**

**BPOV**

My brain is pounding against my skull - like it's going to burst. Vague memories flood my mind: strangers in the night…iron grip that I can't escape…terror…tears…alone.

The last thing I remember is being forced through a door, then falling, then nothing.

I struggle against the pain in my head, willing my eyes to open. I'm met with not even the faintest hint of light. The overwhelming darkness presses against my eyeballs, multiplying the pain in my head.

"Are you ok?" The voice from the darkness is whisper soft, yet it still causes me to jump.

Who is this?

Will they hurt me?

I retreat from the voice, pushing myself back until I hit a solid surface and can move no more.

"I won't hurt you, I promise. Are you okay?"

The voice is soft, and even—and male. He doesn't sound like a threat, but what else should I think? I was taken against my will, shoved into a car and now I'm here — in complete darkness with this nameless, faceless stranger.

I curl myself into a ball; the only protection I have. I hear a shuffling movement…coming toward me. Panic rises in my chest—I have nowhere to go. I can feel that I'm in a corner, the floor and walls are concrete — must be some kind of basement or cellar.

The sounds of the stranger coming towards me is getting louder the closer he gets. I wrap my arms tighter around me, if he wants to hurt me; I'm not going to make it easy for him.

I clench my eyes shut, my body tense as I await whatever will happen next. Something bumps my toe very lightly and then retreats.

"Please, I won't hurt you. I'm being held here too. I just want to see if you're ok." He says.

Held here? Was he taken too?

I'm still frightened, but my curiosity gets the better of me, unlocking my voice.

"My head hurts," I tell him.

I feel him brush against my leg and I jerk away from him.

"Please don't be afraid. I promise I won't hurt you." His voice drips with sincerity and I find myself believing him.

"Where are we?" I ask.

"I don't know," he tells me.

The silence surrounds us again and I listen to his even breathing, trying to calm my fears.

"So, what's your name?" he asks.

I can't really think of a reason not to tell him the truth; since we seem to be in the same predicament.

"Bella Swan. What's yours?" I ask.

"Edward Cullen."

I gasp in shock… I've heard his name before. I look toward him, even though I know I can't see him through the darkness.

"My dad had been searching for you. He's the police chief in Forks, Washington."

Edward groans beside me. "No! I heard them talking about grabbing some girl. I'm so sorry!"

My brain clicks on and my cop's daughter instincts kick in. I need to gather all the information I can.

"Who are they?" I ask Edward.

"I don't know. All I know is that there are two men and a woman. I haven't heard any names." He sounds sad as he speaks to me.

Edward's case is familiar to me. His father is a prominent surgeon in Seattle. My dad has been helping the Seattle police department with Edward's disappearance. It is believed that he was taken for ransom. I had overheard my father speaking on the phone just two days ago to one of his deputies, saying he thought they were close to finding Edward.

"Are we in a house? Do you know anything about where we are?" I think my dad would be pleased that I'm trying to find out as much as possible.

"I'm pretty sure we are in a basement. They bring food and water once a day. Bella, I'm so sorry that you are here." His voice is repentant, the poor guy feels responsible for me being taken.

"It's not your fault that I'm here. What else can you tell me?" I want to know everything that he knows. I will do anything possible to get back to my dad.

"Well, there are stairs to the left of us, and there is a door at the top of the stairs, but it's locked. Oh, there is a tiny hatch or something that they throw the food and water through. I don't think they stay here. It's silent all the time except when they come to feed me."

I process all the information. He said it is silent, so I'm guessing that means we aren't in a city or town. I'm interested in checking out this hatch on the door, but right now I have a more urgent and embarrassing question for him.

"Edward, is there a place I can go to the bathroom?" I can feel the color flooding my face, even though I know he can't see me.

"There is a bucket under the stairs…I'm so sorry." His voice is quiet again, I assume with embarrassment of his own.

I reach out to squeeze his arm. "Hey, it's okay." I tell him.

**~xx~**

I didn't even realize I fell asleep until I'm woken up by the sound of heavy footsteps overhead. I struggle to a sitting position, my body feeling sluggish and achy. I can hear crashing and banging above me, like someone is throwing things around. I scoot in the direction of the stairs, hoping to learn more about our captors.

"Where the fuck did Vicky put the key?" The voice upstairs is loud and angry, but I'm glad have some more insight.

"Above the door. Hurry up, man! I got better things to do then feed these damn kids. Takes fucking forever to get out here." The other voice is quieter, like he's farther from the door, but no less angry.

I hear the crinkle of plastic and the distinctive sound of metal on metal as I inch my way up the stairs.

"Did James tell you what he's up to?" The voice is close to the door.

"Nope. Says he has business and we need to feed these kids once a day." The other voice sounds like it is coming closer and I hear more scrapping and rustling.

"These are different guys," I stifle a scream as Edward's voice is suddenly behind me. I had been concentrating so hard on hearing the voices upstairs; I hadn't heard him come up behind me.

"Shhh," I tell him. I don't want to miss any clues.

"Fuck! You mean we got to come back up here? There is no way I'm driving all the way back out here again! I say we just cram all this damn food through the door and be done with it. This is James fucking problem, not mine!" The voice closest to the door says.

"Fine with me, man. But if they die or some shit, I'm telling James it was all your idea." The farther away voice says.

"Whatever. Just hand me that fucking food and let's get out of here." The closer voice is really loud now and I can hear the fumbling of a key sliding into a lock.

I scoot back from the door, not wanting to be seen. Edward is closer behind me then I realized and I bump into him. He holds onto me, steadying me on my feet.

"Careful, Bella." His voice is close to my ear and I can feel his breath on my skin. He keeps his hands on my shoulders as we wait for the hatch to open.

The patch of light that comes through the hatch burns my eyes, causing them to water. I hear rustling plastic and then a thump, as something heavy is shoved through the hatch. Edward and I are both perfectly still; waiting to see what happens next.

My eyes slowly adjust to the light and I'm able to see a little bit of my surroundings. Edward and I are four steps from the door. I can see a rough wooden floor through the hatch and some legs from a table, before my view is cut off by a large hand, shoving several bottles of water through the opening.

The hatch door shuts as soon as the last bottle of water slips through. I hear the clicking of a padlock and then feet shuffling across the floor. The whole building shakes when another door slams and after a few moments, I hear an engine turn over and the unmistakable sound of a car driving away.

I release a breath that I didn't realize I'd been holding and Edward drops his hands from my shoulders.

"What are you thinking?" he asks me.

"We need to try and get out of here." I hope he doesn't laugh at me.

"That's exactly what I was thinking and I think we should go tonight. The more distance we can put between us and this place, the better." His voice is confident, which makes me feel better.

"I agree. What are you thinking?" I ask him.

"First, I think we should eat and then we can figure it out from there." We search the stairs until we find the sack of food and some of the bottles of water. We make quick work of our meal of protein bars and water.

"I noticed that hatch doesn't look very sturdy. I think I can kick it out, then you should be able to squeeze through it. You feel pretty small." I blush deeply at his words. I'm not even sure why, but I find myself being secretly pleased that he took note of my build.

"Yeah, I think I can manage that," I tell him.

"Are you ready now?" he asks.

"Yes. No reason to wait and I want to be far from here in case those guys change their minds and come back tomorrow."

Edward moves past me on the steps. He is much more sure of himself in the dark then I am.

"Stand back a bit, Bella." I do as he asks.

I have no idea how he knows where to kick, but I keep that thought to myself. Soon, I hear the loud thump of Edward's foot slamming against the door. Each bang brings forth a creak from the wood. After several more crashes, I hear the wood begin to crack. Edward keeps kicking, causing more cracking, until finally; I hear a break and see a small patch of light. Once again, the light burns my eyes and I hear Edward continuing to kick at the hatch. My eyes adjust more quickly to the light this time and I can see that Edward has been able to kick the hatch cover completely open. It's nice to be able to see again.

Edward is already moving out of the way, giving me access to the opening. I drop to my knees, preparing to crawl through the tight space.

"Good luck, Bella," Edward says as I begin to climb through the hatch opening. I manage to wiggle myself through with relative ease, though it was a snug fit around my shoulders and hips - I'll probably have some bruising there. There is no time to look around; I need to free Edward. I stretch up on my tiptoes to reach the key on the ledge above the door, hoping these guys were dumb enough to put both the key to the hatch and the door in the same place. To my great relief, my fingers brush against two sets of keys. I grab both sets, fitting one of the silver keys into the padlock on the door. As soon as I have the padlock off, I turn the knob and open the door. Edward is standing on the top step, he is taller than I thought, I have to look up into his face. I gasp when my eyes take in his features…he is gorgeous!

His hair is a tousle of copper, scruff covering his chiseled face and the most enchanting green eyes I've ever seen.

To my complete astonishment, Edward scoops me into his arms and hugs me tightly, lifting me off my feet.

"Thank you, Bella! I think I would have gone insane if I had to be down there much longer," Edward's voice is muffled in my hair, where he has buried his face. It feels wonderful to be in his arms and I'm surprised to find myself enjoying being this close to him.

Edward sets me back on my feet and shuffles away, pink tingeing his cheeks.

"Sorry about that. I just got excited," he says.

I smile widely at him. "I didn't mind." Now it's my turn to blush as Edward gives me a dazzling smile. We grin foolishly at each other for a moment, before Edward reminds me of the urgency of our situation.

"I'm going to go back down stairs and gather up the food and water. Do you mind looking around up here for anything we can use?" I nod at Edward and turn my attention to my surroundings.

We appear to be in an old, run down cabin. Dust is thick on the floor and the windows are mostly boarded up…light filtering in between the boards. Not far from the door to the basement is a table and three chairs, all are dirty and broken. There is an old metal bunk bed against the far wall and a large stone fireplace.

There isn't really much of a kitchen, just a counter and a sink, and there is no bathroom in sight. In the far corner is a ladder, leading up to some kind of loft. I start picking through the junk on the floor, hoping I can find something useful. I'm finding a lot of shot gun shells amongst the junk, so I'm guessing this used to be a hunting cabin - explains why there's not much in it. I also find food wrappers, a book of matches - now that might come in handy. I grab the matches from the floor and shove them in my pocket. I hear Edward clomping up the stairs behind me and I turn to face him.

"Found anything?" he asks

"Not really, a book of matches." He nods and sighs at my words, his gaze shifting to sweep the room.

"Hey! Have you checked that loft?" Edward asks as he heads toward the ladder.

"Not yet," I tell him. Edward climbs easily up to the loft area.

"Bella, I think I'll find some stuff up her. I'll throw it down to you."

I laugh softly at the excitement in Edward's voice.

I hear Edward shuffling things around in the loft before hearing a 'Heads up'. Looking up, I see a small dusty red square flying at me. I catch it and turn it in my hands to determine its contents. The white cross on one side tells me it's a first aid kit. I set the kit on the table and wait to see if Edward finds more. I'm back to looking through the debris on the floor when I hear a loud "Yes!" from Edward.

"What is it?" I yell up at him.

"A tent! Here catch." His voice is excited and I step close to the ladder in order to reach the bulky sack he is lowering towards me.

I grab a hold of it and add it to our small collection on the table. I'm glad we'll at least have something to sleep in - better then sleeping on the ground and definitely better than being held captive in this cabin.

"Bella, here's a couple old blankets and a sleeping bag." Edward tosses several dusty, thin blankets and an old sleeping bag.

I shake the blankets, attempting to get off as much of the dust as possible. Edward descends the ladder, several objects held in one arm.

"I found this old backpacking frame and some rope. I can tie the tent, the blankets and sleeping bag to the frame so I can carry it." Edward is talking fast. I'm guessing he is in a hurry to get away from here, not that I blame him, I'll be glad to leave here too.

Edward makes quick work of securing everything to the backpack frame, lastly tucking a small, rusted hatchet he found through his belt. I'm in charge of carrying our food bag, not that we have much, some protein bars, jerky and nuts and six bottles of water.

"You ready?" Edward asks as I step to his side by the front door.

I nod my head and to my surprise, Edward reaches down and takes my hand, lacing his fingers through mine. His touch sends a jolt of excitement through my body and I squeeze his hand in return.

Edward opens the door and together we step out into the dwindling light of late afternoon.

Trees tower around us in every direction. There is no road, no trail, except for tire tracks through the tall grass. We step off the rickety porch and Edward leads us off in the same direction the tire tracks go. He sets a quick pace and I almost have to run to keep up with him. Edward stops suddenly and I run right into him.

"Take off your socks," he orders. I look at him, like he's lost his mind. He rushes to explain himself.

"I can hear a river near here. I think we should walk in the water, that way no one can track us. If we take our socks off and put them in our pockets, then we'll have something dry to put on when we stop tonight." I look at Edward in stunned silence, I never thought of doing that.

We flop down on the grass and quickly remove our socks and shove them in our pockets. Once our shoes are laced back up we are off again, Edward setting the same hurried pace as before.

It doesn't take us long to find the river that Edward heard. It is shallow and moving slowly, should make for easy walking.

We are both silent as we begin splashing through the chilly water. Edward has taken my hand again and is pulling me along behind him. I decide to break the silence by asking him a few questions.

"Where were you when they took you?" I ask.

His pace doesn't lessen as he talks, "I had been at a coffee shop with some friends and I cut through an alley on my way back to my car. I didn't even know they were there. They came at me from behind and hit me in the head. When I woke up, I was in that basement."

I listened to his story with fascination; much of it was similar to my own.

"What about you?" he asks

"I was driving home at night and my truck broke down. I was looking under the hood when I was hit on the head, then I was waking up in the basement." My voice is barely a whisper as I relay my story, the desperation of our situation really hitting me.

Edward stops suddenly again and turns to face me, squeezing my hand gently.

"Bella, I'll protect you." His voice is soft and the way he looks at me through his eyelashes makes my insides turn to goo. I manage a wobbly smile before Edward turns and goes back to his fast paced walking.

**~xx~**

"Are you ready to stop?" Edward's voice brings me from my internal musings.

"Yes." I try to keep the fatigue from my voice, but I will be more then glad to stop.

Edward helps me out of the water and tells me to rest while he sets up camp. I gladly lower myself to a fallen log next to the river and watch Edward work. He removes the pack and then begins gathering armfuls of dead pine needles, spreading them out across the ground. My curiosity is piqued.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

He looks up from his task, flashing me a dazzling grin. "Just an old trick my dad taught me—makes for a softer place to sleep."

"Oh!" I feel a little lame saying that, but it's all I could think of.

"Do you want to pull the tent out? It's going to be dark soon, we need to get the tent up before we lose the light." He smiles again and goes back to gathering pine needles.

I feel a bit stupid, why didn't I think of that? Maybe because I find Edward so distracting. He is easily the most attractive man I've ever seen.

Edward and I set up the tent and are soon sitting on the log eating jerky and nuts and sharing a bottle of water. We talk a little, but it is clear that we are both exhausted. I follow him into the tent as the sun sinks behind the trees. Edward has arranged the bedding so that the sleeping bag is opened and spread in the middle of the tent, and the two blankets are spread over it; making a bed big enough for two people. He looks at me shyly, a slight blush coloring his face.

"We will be warmer if we sleep together."

I can feel that my cheeks are flaming red, so I try not to look at him as I sit down to take off my damp shoes. After I've slipped my dry socks on, I crawl over to the bed and curl myself under the blankets. Edward climbs under the other side of the blankets and turns on his side, facing me. I have no idea what to say to him, I just give him a small smile then close my eyes, trying to get warm.

I'm so cold. I hug myself, rubbing my hands up and down my arms.

"Bella." Edward's voice is soft, he sounds sleepy. I open my eyes to find that Edward has scooted closer to me. "Come here, you're freezing." He opens his arms to me and I gratefully snuggle into his embrace.

He is soft and wonderfully warm as I lean my head against his chest and his arms close around my shoulders, pulling me close to his body.

"Good night, Edward," I mumble into his chest.

"Night, Bella." His breath is warm across my hair as he speaks and I fall asleep, secure in his arms.

My body is stiff when I wake up. I try to stretch, but Edward is still asleep and his arms are wrapped around my body. I try to wiggle free from his grip, but his hold is too tight. I twist my hips back and forth, trying to free myself.

"Bella?" Edward's voice is breathy and he pulls me even closer, his hips grinding into me. I gasp when I feel his erection press into me, and heat spreads through my body with the realization that Edward is turned on. I try again to wiggle free from his grasp, but only succeed in rubbing against him further. He groans loudly and rolls over so that I'm pinned between him and the ground. His eyes flutter open and meet mine. I can see in their green depths exactly when he realizes what happened. His face turns a dark red and he rolls off me and into a sitting position, his back turned to me.

"God, Bella. I'm so sorry! I…" His voice cuts off with the touch of my hand to his back.

"Edward, it's ok." I tell him.

He looks at me over his shoulder and I smile gently at him, hoping he can see that I'm not upset with him. The expression on his face goes from apologetic to determined, as he leans forward and brushes his lips against my cheek. Before my brain can even process what is going on, I find myself reaching up to brush my fingers through the coppery scruff that covers his jaw. He brushes his lips across my cheek again, grazing the corner of my mouth. I work my fingers along his jaw, until my hand is cupping his face. Curling my fingers under his jaw, I encourage him. Our lips press together slowly…cautiously. I slide my fingers to his neck and up into his hair, holding him close to me. My actions seem to encourage Edward, letting him know that I'm ok with what he is doing. I'm more then ok with it actually. My body is on fire with yearning for him. His strong hands wrap around my waist, keeping me pressed flush to his body. His lips caress mine, pulling my bottom lip between his own. I sigh against his mouth. His lips are complete perfection. He pulls back from me slightly, our eyes meeting again. Goofy grins spread across both our faces and I immediately lower my eyes. I can't believe I was so bold.

**~xx~**

The mid-day sun beats down on us as we walk through the water. Edward continues to hold my hand, but today is different. Throughout the day he brushes his thumb over the back of my hand and we exchange smiles every time our eyes meet. The air between us is charged with sexual tension and I find myself longing for night just to be able to snuggle up against him once more.

We stop and eat some lunch, sitting side by side on the riverbank. I'm having a difficult time keeping my thoughts and eyes off Edward. I keep watching his mouth as he eats, wishing it was pressed against mine again.

"Bella?" I hadn't even realized Edward wasn't sitting next to me anymore, lost in my daydreams as I was. I shake my head, attempting to clear my head of visions of kissing Edward.

Edward is looking at me with a quizzical gaze. "Are you ready to keep going?"

I smile brightly at him as he offers me his hand and helps me from the ground. We continue on, making small talk here and there, the sexual tension still heavy in the air.

**~xx~**

It's easier to climb into the blankets tonight and snuggle up to Edward. Actually, it's more than welcome. I lay my head on his chest, my body pressed close to his. Nothing about this feels awkward, it just feels…right. I feel a bit daring and press my lips to Edward's throat. His breath comes out in a hiss and his arms tighten around my shoulders. Encouraged by his obvious pleasure, I move my lips to his jaw line, placing small kisses from his chin to his ear. Edward's hands move to my hips, pulling me tight against him. Heat explodes through my body at the feel of his hard-on pressed against me and my lips eagerly seek his.

He sweeps his tongue across my lips as soon as our mouths press together. I take him enthusiastically into my mouth, rubbing my tongue frantically against his. My hands travel up over his shoulders and find their way into his wild hair, pressing him more firmly to me.

Edward rolls his body so that he is flat on his back, pulling me along with him until I am settled on top of him. His hands press my hips to his, the friction between us causing me to moan into his mouth. Edward's hands slip over the swell of my behind, pulling me upwards along his hardened shaft. We both moan our pleasure as our bodies and tongues writhe together. I move my hands between our bodies until I find the hem of his shirt, sliding my hands underneath. My body is on fire with my desire for Edward, every inch of me attune to him.

I break our kiss to catch my breath, and feel the loss of him as soon as our lips separate. I want more of him…I want all of him. I move my hands further up his body, pushing my palms into the sparse hair of his chest.

Edward's mouth is moving down my neck, nipping and sucking at my flesh. I feel molten, like my skin is the only thing holding me together. I rock against him, pressing my hips down onto him, causing me to gasp. I push against his chest, bringing myself to a sitting position and begin tugging his shirt up.

"Bella, we should stop." His voice sounds unsure, as if he doesn't believe what he's saying.

I slide myself down until I am able to kiss the soft skin of his stomach.

"Why?" I murmur against him.

I can hear him swallow thickly and his voice holds little conviction as he speaks. "I don't want to take advantage of you."

I sit fully upright and look him in the eye. "Do I look taken advantage of to you? I'm straddling you. I want this, Edward. I want you."

A faint blush stains his face as I lower my lips to his. "Bella, I…"

I cut him off with a kiss. "No words, Edward. No explanations. Just you and me. I want you."

I can see his resolve melt as his lips crash into mine. I pull him toward me until we are both sitting up. I make quick work of pulling his shirt over his head, tossing it over my shoulder. My hands roam eagerly over his torso, feeling the sculpted muscle underneath his skin. Edward's hands slide up from my hips, pushing up under the fabric of my shirt. His hands are warm and strong as they slide up my ribcage, tracing the edge of my breasts. His thumbs brush firmly over my nipples causing me to arch into his palms, grinding myself more persistently against him. Edward quickly separates me from my shirt, his mouth attacking my breasts as soon as they are exposed to him. His tongue slides over the top of my breast, dipping down into the cup of my bra to glide over my hardened nipple. I gasp loudly, pulling him harder against my body. His fingers make quick work of my bra clasp and I soon find myself bare-chested before him. Edward's mouth consumes me, as I scrape my nails down his back in pleasure, causing us to arch into each other.

Edward's hands are moving over me once more, down my ribs, over my hips until he's gripping my thighs tightly. He flips me on my back with a suddenness that takes my breath away. He nestles himself between my legs, thrusting against my center.

"Oh God, Edward!" I buck my hips up to meet his, digging my fingers into his behind to keep him against me.

"Bella, are you sure?" Edward asks between kisses to my breast.

I nod my head frantically, not even able to find words to describe my desire for him. I'm pawing at the front of his pants, trying to pop the button open. My efforts must not be fast enough for him. He kneels abruptly in front of me and pops the button on his jeans, sliding them down. I scramble out of my pants as well, pushing and pulling them off.

I'm on my back, Edward kneeling in front of me, his prominent erection standing out before him. He drops to all fours and crawls up my body, his eyes hooded with lust as he gazes at me. His lips meet mine again, hungry and demanding. He slips easily inside me, filling me completely. I moan loudly as he enters me; thrusting my hips upward and pulling his body further into mine. I have no words to describe how Edward feels inside me… he's perfect! Like we are made to fit each other. He picks up his pace, slamming himself into me again and again. I wrap my legs around his hips, wanting him in me deeper. Edward moves his hand down my thigh until his hand is cupping my bottom. His fingers grip me tightly, pulling me against him. He's deep inside of me now and pounding with delicious force. I feel the tingle of release beginning to build in my body. It starts in my toes and fingers, rolling through my limbs and crawling across my chest until it settles low in my belly…coiled, waiting to strike. Edward continues thrusting inside me, bringing me close to the edge. He adjusts his hand on my behind, shifting my angle. The coil in my belly unravels and my release explodes inside me. My walls clamp around him, pulling him further in. Edward moves faster inside me, his eyes wild with desire. A few staccato groans later, I feel the warmth of Edward's fluids fill me. He breathes heavily on top of me, jumping and twitching inside. I run my hands up Edward's back, gliding over the thin sheen of sweat gathered there. He collapses onto me and I revel in the weight of his body on top of mine.

**~xx~**

The light filters through the tent, shining in my eyes. I'm reluctant to move and unwind myself from the very naked Edward sleeping next to me. I slip from the blankets, hunting for my clothes.

I find them and dress quickly before making my way out of the tent.

I try not to dwell on what happened last night as I stretch in the early morning sun. I can still feel Edward on my skin, the way his delicious body slid against mine.

I need to stop this; there is no point to this. Edward and I will get back to our lives and this will all just be a lovely memory.

I hear the zipper from the tent and turn to see Edward stepping out. I'm surprised when he walks up to me and slides his arms around my waist, pulling me into a hug. He nuzzles his face down into my hair, breathing deeply.

"You were amazing last night. Thank you."

I chuckle awkwardly. Did he just thank me for sex?

"Umm…sure," is the super lame response I come up with.

**~xx~**

We are far into our day when we both hear the distant roar of cars.

"A road." He mutters, more like he's talking to himself rather than me.

We soon find ourselves next to a highway that I recognize immediately. This is highway 101 and we are near the town of Sappho, not too far from Forks…my home! I can't believe I have been this close to home the entire time.

"Edward! I know where we are!" I hug him tightly in my excitement and then start pulling him down the road.

**~xx~**

The officer at the desk is young and looks up as soon as we walk into the Sappho Police Station. His eyes widen and he stands suddenly. "You're Isabella Swan!"

I'm a bit taken back by his immediate recognition of me and I give him a puzzled look. He points to the wall behind me, I turn and am met with my own image. There is a missing persons flier for both me and Edward. I turn back to the police officer, who is on the phone, talking rapidly.

Once the officer is off the phone, he addresses Edward and I. "Miss Swan, I called your father. He was following a lead in Seattle, but is on his way back. I will be driving you and Mr. Cullen to your home in Forks."

"What about my parents?" Edward asks.

"I believe Chief Swan is going to call your folks." The officer informs him.

Edward and I are soon settled in the back of a police cruiser. The officer tries to make small talk, but the conversation dies after a few minutes and we all settle into silence.

It isn't long before we are pulling into the gravel drive way in front of my house. I'm excited to be home again and jump out of the cruiser as soon as it stops. Edward follows me toward the house and I can hear him chuckling behind me. I don't care how silly I look, I've never been so happy to be home.

"Miss Swan?" The officer calls and I turn toward him.

"Will you be all right here alone?" his eyes shift back and forth between me and Edward.

I don't like the officers insinuation. I narrow my eyes at him and grab Edward's hand. "I'm not here alone. Thank you for your assistance. Goodbye." With that, I turn on my heel and march into my house, dragging Edward behind me. I watch the officer drive away before I step through the door, still holding Edward's hand.

I freeze the moment I step through the door. Sitting in my father's chair is a blond haired man, pointing a gun directly at us.

"Edward… Bella, so glad you could join me. Sit!" The man motions us toward the couch.

In stunned silence, we comply, still holding hands. The man leans forward, gun still pointed at us. "You two have caused me a lot of trouble with your little escape act." He leers at us and I shift closer to Edward.

Edward puts his arm around me, pulling me close to his side.

"Well, look at the two of you. Aren't you cute," sarcasm thick in the man's voice.

Edward leans toward the man, anger rolling off him. "What do you want with us?"

Maniacal laughter fills the air. "Money, little rich boy. Money. Your dear daddy is the highest paid surgeon in Seattle and if he wants his precious son back alive, then he is going to have to pay me for that privilege. As for you, Bella, you can thank your daddy for your situation. He was getting to close to finding where I had hidden Edward. I needed a little leverage to turn things my way again."

I stare wide-eyed at the man, terror filling my every thought. I watch in abject horror when he produces two pairs of handcuffs from the pocket of his coat.

"Up. Now." He demands, still pointing the gun directly at us.

We have little choice but to comply and we slowly rise to our feet, Edward pushing my body slightly behind his.

"Bravery won't save your little girlfriend, Edward." The man says. He stalks toward us, gun held out in front of him.

Edward's hand grips my hip, forcing me completely behind him.

The man moves the gun so that he is pointing it directly at Edward, inches from his face.

"Cuff the girl." The man demands, pushing a pair of the handcuffs hard into Edward's chest.

To my surprise, Edward pushes them back at him. "No."

The man looks stunned for a moment before he recovers. "Don't be stupid. Just cuff the girl."

"No," Edward says again, taking a step towards the man. "You won't kill me. You need me to collect the ransom."

Comprehension dawns on the man's face; he knows Edward is right. His whole demeanor changes. His shoulders sag and the gun lowers from Edward's face. I am beyond relieved and allow my body to relax against Edward's as he turns to give me a smile.

In that moment, I catch movement from the corner of my eye and feel a crushing grip on my arm. I'm being forcibly dragged from Edward, my fingers reach for him, grabbing at his shirt.

The man has me in a tight grip, cold gunmetal pressed to my temple.

"Now are you willing to comply?" The man hisses close behind me.

Edward's face pales and he nods his head slowly. His eyes are worried and filled with apology. I try to tell him with my eyes that I'm not upset with him.

"Now take the hand cuffs and put them on her now!" The man's voice is filled with cold fury.

Edward takes the handcuffs from the man's hand and locks them onto my wrists. "I'm sorry, Bella." Edward's eyes fill with horror as he looks at my handcuffed wrists.

I suddenly hear a noise outside. It's a car in the driveway. It has to be my dad.

"Da—" The man's sweaty hand clamps over my mouth, cutting off my words. I summon my courage to fight and bite the man as hard as I can.

"Shit! You fucking bit—" Edward's fist hits the man hard in the mouth, causing him to stop speaking and letting me go in the process. The man recovers quickly, and swings the butt of the gun, making contact with the side of Edward's head. A sickening thud fills the room and I watch Edward sink to the ground, knocked out cold.

The man grabs me from where I have fallen on the couch, his hand tight around my throat, gun barrel at my temple once more. I can hear my father's footsteps coming up the porch and then the click of the front door opening.

"Well, well, Daddy. I'm so glad you could join us." The man's mocking tone ringing in my ears.

My dad has his gun out and aimed so fast, I barely register his movement. "Let her go, James. This is over." My dad's voice is strong and authoritative, his 'cop' voice.

James' grip around my throat tightens and the pressure of the gun on my head increases.

"You're right Chief Swan. It is over. You let me walk out of here with the Cullen boy or say goodbye to your daughter. Your choice, Chief." James voice is cold, filling my already trembling body with a sense of dread.

My dad loosens his stance and lowers his gun, turning it in his hand, showing James he is laying it down.

I know my dad and his sense of duty. There is no way he would give in to a criminal or allow Edward to be taken hostage.

My dad lays his gun on the floor and then stands up slowly. "Let me check the boy, James."

James moves the gun from my head for a moment, long enough to motion my dad toward Edward.

My dad bends down and checks Edward's pulse, causing him to stir and attempt to rise. My dad tucks an arm around him, helping him up.

Everything happens in slow motion. My dad pulls a small pistol from a leg holster under his pants leg. The sound of the gun blast fills the air and I feel the force of the impact as it hits James. I'm thrown forward, landing hard on the floor at Edward's feet. I hear shuffling behind me and know that my dad is apprehending James.

Edward is helping me to my feet, holding me against him.

"You shot me! You fucking shot me!" James is yelling at my father as he handcuffs his hands behind his back.

My dad is shoving James down onto the couch, before turning his attention to me. Edward immediately lets go of me and I'm in my father's arms.

"Bella. Are you hurt?" His voice is laced with concern and fatigue. Knowing my father, he has probably hardly slept the last several days…worry keeping him awake.

"I'm ok, Dad, I'm ok." My voice is muffled against my father's jacket, as he squeezes me tightly to him. He pulls me back from him, my face held between his hands and he kisses my forehead softy.

"I thought I lost you, Bells." He hugged me tightly once more before letting me go. My dad shoves his hands in his pockets, shifting his weight awkwardly. "I'm gonna take this loser to the hospital and then to jail." His eyes dart briefly between Edward and I. "Why don't you and Edward grab some lunch, clean up and then come down to the station so I can ask you a few questions."

With that, my dad turns to Edward and addresses him. "I called your parents and they are on their way to the station." Much to Edward's shock, my dad grabs his hand in a firm shake and claps him on the shoulder. "Thanks for keeping my girl safe." My dad drags James out the door, swearing as he goes, leaving Edward and I standing in the living room just watching each other.

It feels strange to be standing here in my living room with Edward, so I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. "Do you want to take a shower?"

Edward's eyes widen and I realize how my question must have sounded to him. I blush deeply and mumble something about getting him a towel. Edward follows me up the stairs and I dig a towel out of the linen closet for him, pressing it to his chest. Edward grabs my hand as I start to turn away from him, pulling me back towards him.

"I wouldn't mind some company in the shower." His voice is quiet and he is looking at me from under his lashes. My skin heats with a blush and I allow Edward to pull me into the bathroom with him. His mouth descends to mine as soon as the door shuts…devouring me. Our hands are flying all over each other…pushing, pulling…raw need filling the air around us.

Edward has me off my feet and pressed to the door as soon as my clothes are off. He sinks into me, burying himself to the hilt in my more than ready depths. Our bodies move together with heated fury. I want to memorize every inch of him so that I never forget him. He pounds into me relentlessly and I never want him to stop. I feel his pace quicken and my walls begin to quiver around him.

I climb to the peak of my release, pulling Edward with me. He twitches with in me, filling me with his warmth. Our bodies relax against each other, foreheads pressed together.

"I don't want to let you go." Edward's words rouse me from my post orgasmic haze. I look up into his eyes, they shine with sincerity.

I run my fingers over his bronze covered jaw to his cheek. "Neither do I."

"I can come down and see you on weekends and we can talk on the phone. I want this to work, Bella." The look on his face melts me. I've already had this man's body, now I want his heart.

"We'll find a way, Edward. I want this to work too." Our lips meet again, more tender this time, more emotional.

**~xx~**

"Bella?" My dad's voice breaks into my thoughts. "Are you ready, Bells?"

I blink my eyes a few times, wondering how long I've been zoned out. I shake the images from my head. It's been a long time since I thought about how I met Edward. I smooth my hands over the front of my dress, adjust my veil and slip my hand through my dad's arm.

The sanctuary doors open and my ears are flooded with the music of the wedding march. I take a deep breath and steady my steps as I walk down the aisle toward my future…and Edward.

**~XXXX~**

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I would love to hear your thoughts...so don't be shy...review.**

**If you are looking for a really excellent one-shot, check out the winner of the people's choice award for the 100 pics contest, http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/6494990/1/Oceans_of_Memories**


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